Upon landing, paramedics attended to Pant, but he could not be saved. Pande criticized the airline staff, describing them as “inhumane and callous,” asserting that her father was at the mercy of the pilot and Air Canada.
In response, Air Canada expressed sympathy to the family but rejected responsibility for the passenger’s death. The airline stated that its crew followed proper procedures, providing continuous care for the passenger, including relocating him to the business cabin. After consulting with the ground-to-air medical team, a diversion was not recommended. The passenger was conscious upon arrival, but he passed away while being attended to by paramedics.
Air Canada highlighted its established processes for managing onboard medical events, which include soliciting medical personnel onboard, accessing a Transport-Canada approved medical kit, and communicating with a specialized ground-to-air medical provider. The airline emphasized its commitment to diverting an aircraft to a nearby airport with appropriate medical facilities when needed, based on the advice of medical experts.
The incident has prompted a broader discussion about the decision-making process during in-flight medical emergencies, with the perspectives of the family and the airline providing contrasting narratives.
Heartbreaking 💔 Shanu Pande’s 83 year old father, Harish Pant’s health deteriorated during an Air Canada flight. Despite pleas to divert, the plane continued for 9 more hours, landing in Montreal where he passed away. How Inhumane and callous @AirCanada https://t.co/U2u4hnI7qV
— 🇮🇳 Inconvenient Immigrant 🇨🇦 (@immigrant_iam) November 12, 2023
83-year-old Harish Chandra Pant died from a presumed heart attack on Air Canada flight.
The crew told his family members the flight would continue to Canada with no diversion since it was considered a non-life-threatening emergency.
Via @OnTheNewsBeathttps://t.co/6AgWYDXc3i
— Ruchir Sharma (@ruchirsharma_1) November 9, 2023
People
